24092020 - BLACK WEDNESDAY: 30 killed in Kogi petrol tanker explosion

30 — Vangupard, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
COVID-19: Is phased resumption by students
solution to keeping universities running?
•ASUU, NANS, NAPTAN disagree
By Adesina Wahab
WITH the decision by some
state governments to
reopen tertiary institutions owned
by them, students in universities,
polytechnics and colleges of
education who have been at home
since March this year now have the
hope of continuing their studies.
The institutions were at various
stages of their academic sessions
before all schools were closed by
the Federal Government following
the outbreak of the Coronavirus
disease in the country.
However, during the lockdown,
many suggestions were made as
to how schools at all levels in the
country could continue to
functions, one of which was that
students could resume in batches.
With the Lagos State
Government blazing the trail in the
reopening of tertiary Institutions
in the country, agitation in some
quarters that the approach be
adopted by other states and the
FG, has heightened.
To those in support of adopting
tbe step, it would help the system
to continue in the face of the
challenges posed by the pandemic.
Vanguard spoke to some
stakeholders in the sector on the
appropriateness or otherwise of
the action.
The stakeholders were the
Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, the National
Association of Nigerian Students,
NANS and the National Parent
Teacher Association of Nigeria,
NAPTAN. They expressed different
views about on the issue.
ASUU's position
The Chairman, ASUU,
University of Lagos Chapter, Dr
Dele Ashiru, faulted the move,
saying the government was only
trying to dodge the responsibility
of providing adequate
infrastructure in the nation's
universities and other tertiary
institutions.
"The government must not shy
away from the fact that it must
provide adequate infrastructure in
our tertiary institutions. Before
considering phased reopening of
universities and others, the
government should expand the
infrastructure there. Our
universities are not only
overcrowded, many basic things
are lacking.
"That has formed the plank of
our agitation for years but some
people seem not to understand. We
are aware that some university
administrators are trying to
frustrate and sabotage our efforts.
Incidentally, the same set of people
do benefit from the dividends of
our agitation. They benefit when
the dividends of the agitation are
being given to lecturers.
Also, government should resolve
the issue of our ongoing strike,
without that, it may be difficult for
our members to resume work.
There are a number of issues the
government has not resolved with
us. We started our strike before the
Coronavirus outbreak and up until
now, they are yet to positively
respond," he said.
The view of NANS
On the part of NANS, the South-
West Zonal Coordinator, Comrade
Kappo Samuel Olawale, noted
that phased reopening of schools
was one of the suggestions made
by the body to the government.
"It was one of our suggestions
that students should resume in
batches. University is a large
community and an outbreak of
any infection can be fatal. For the
final year students to resume is
good because they are almost
finishing their programmes and
would soon go into the labour
market.
"Students are tired of staying at
home and it is becoming
frustrating to them. At least civil
servants also resumed work in
batches and markets are opened
in sequences too. We cannot
ground the whole system.
By Elizabeth Osayande
THE Provost, Corona College of
Education Ilupeju, Lagos, Dr
Martin Obinyan, at the virtual
graduation ceremony of 69 teachers
stated that the College was the first
in the country to use technology to
complete its programmes despite the
outbreak of COVID-19 which saw
institutions being shut down.
At the event which saw the
induction of new set of students,
Obinyan said that the teachers were
presented with the Nigeria
Certificate in Education, NCE and
Professional Diploma in Education,
PDE at the 2nd Convocation
ceremony of the institution.
According to the Provost: " We are
the first College of Education in
Nigeria to deploy technology
massively for academic activities
and we completed our programmes
within the set time frame despite all
odds. I therefore urge you as
graduands to remain worthy
ambassadors of the College and
carry along with you the discipline,
The reality now is that we must
find a way of living with the virus
safely. Time is very precious and
we cannot afford to waste it. We
must find a way out and that is
what I think the government is
trying to do," he said.
What NAPTAN has to say
For the National President of
NAPTAN, Haruna Danjuma, there
is nothing bad in the students
resuming in batches, but observing
all the safety protocols should be
key.
"All safety protocols must be
observed. When that is done, it is
okay. Doing the needful is
important, as anything short of this
will create problems. We don't want
the lives of our children to be put
in danger. This is just as we don't
want their time wasted needlessly.
We are compiling information
from our state chapters to know
what is happening," he said.
Recall that the Lagos State
•Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, UI, Prof. Abel Olayinka, right, with the
Oyo State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Prof. Oyelowo
Oyewo, during the commissioner's visit to the VC
Government recently announced
the reopening of tertiary
institutions owned by it and that
was followed by Ogun State
Government which gave a similar
directive.
However, the resumption by the
Lagos institutions ran into a hitch
Stanbic IBTC institutes scholarship
awards for Nigerian undergraduates
Corona College of Education holds virtual graduation, inducts 69
values and skills that you have
developed while at the institution. As
those values would help shape your
future."
Also speaking at the graduation
ceremony, the College Chairman Mr
Sulaiman Adedotun, who
congratulated all graduating
students and awardees, explained
that the College, established almost
a decade ago, was poised to
contributing towards building
teachers' capacity in the country
primarily through continuous
professional development
programmes.
He also appealed to the Federal
Government of Nigeria and the State
Government to recognise and
support private educators as partners
in progress in the noble cause.
The Registrar and Chief Executive
Officer, Teachers' Registration
Council of Nigeria, TRCN, Prof.
Josiah Ajiboye, applauded the
CCED staff, and its management for
always observing the TRCN
induction protocols.
Ajiboye, who praised stakeholders
By Mary Obaebor
STANBIC IBTC Holdings Plc,
a member of the Standard
Bank Group, has called for
applications for the maiden
edition of its 2020 Scholarship
Programme.
The Stanbic IBTC 2020
Scholarship Programme, geared
towards encouraging hard work
and academic excellence amongst
Nigerian undergraduates, and is
open to students who participated
in the 2020 Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination
(UTME) and have just gained
admission into any of the tertiary
institutions.
The foremost end-to-end
financial services provider has
said that the total scholarship
value of at least N40
million, would be spread
across four years and
disbursed in tranches of
N100,000 per academic
year. The firm also said
that subsequent
disbursement of the funds
would be based on the
maintenance of at least
second-class upper grade
and good conduct of the
student as referenced by
the university.
Dr Demola Sogunle,
Chief Executive, Stanbic
IBTC Holdings Plc, said
the organisation
recognised the
importance and impact of
education in the life of
every Nigerian youth.
According to him:
“Education empowers
and encourages the youth
to prepare for the future
in the education industry especially
the government for using technology
to bridge the gap in the teaching and
learning process during the COVID
19 lockdown, said Corona College
of Education was one of the best
By Adeola Badru
DESPITE many demeaning
comments about Nigeria's
education system and the quality
of education itself, two students at
the Vale Tutorial College, Ibadan,
Oyo State, John Pius-Obayemi and
Al-Fatihi Abdulmalik, did pretty
well, bagging distinctions in their
Cambridge Advanced Level
Examinations, held in June.
Both students came tops with
Obayemi, scoring three As in
Physics, Mathematics and
Chemistry, having the best result,
while Abdulmalik also got As in
Sociology, Economics,
Mathematics, achieving second
best result.
as a result of protest by staff unions
over the payment of the new
minimum wage/consequential
increment to the workers.
Subsequent upon the reopening
directive, the Lagos State
University, LASU, the Lagos State
Polytechnic, LASPOTECH, the
Adeniran Ogunsanya College of
Education, ACOED, the Michael
Otedola College of Primary
Education MOCPED, announced
that their final year students would
come on campus first, so as to
quickly conclude their studies.
Students in schools owned by the
Federal Government are still
waiting when they will resume and
how they will resume.
while also confronting challenges.
Education is a panacea for growth
and enduring development of any
nation or organisation.”
He reiterated that apart from
making deliberate efforts to
cushion the effects of the economic
hardship caused by the pandemic
on parents and guardians, the
Stanbic IBTC 2020 Scholarship
Programme would also seek to
reward exceptional candidates
who demonstrate academic
excellence and good character.
While assuring members of the
public of the organisation’s
commitment to the growth and
development of Nigerian youths,
Dr Sogunle said: “Over the years,
we have demonstrated our
obligation to the future leaders
through the various plans and
programmes geared towards
supporting their dreams and
aspirations. One of such
programmes is the annual Stanbic
IBTC Youth Leadership Series
(YLS), which engages Nigerian
youth on how to explore their
innate potentials to become better
business leaders.”
The Stanbic IBTC 2020
Scholarship Programme kicked
off on September 1, 2020 with the
call for applications through the
firm’s website and social media
platforms. Criteria for selection
include a minimum score of 200
in the 2020 UTME and letter of
admission into a Nigerian
university, issued by the Joint
Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB) or the university.
Upon the close of entries and
completion of the scholarship
process,100 successful would be
awarded the scholarship.
private colleges in Nigeria and as
an ICT compliant college because
of its adaptation of the e-learning
platform to run its programmes
during the pandemic crisis.
Vale students bag distinctions in Cambridge
Advanced Examinations
Vanguard learnt that in 2014, a
former student of the school,
Maryam Adeyanju, got distinction
in Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
eventually finishing with the best
result.
Another student emerged in 2015
with distinction in Chemistry,
Physics, Biology, one other student,
Abdul-Hammed Babatunde,
achieved the same feat in 2017 with
distinction in Chemistry, Physics,
Biology.
Continuing the string of
impressive results by the school, a
former student, Joel Christiana
also got A, B, B, in Sociology,
Literature, History, getting the best
results last year.